The Central government on Friday notified the appointment of judicial officer Marakkaparambil Bhargavan Snehalatha as an additional judge of the Kerala High Court.A notification in this regard was issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice on April 19.The Supreme Court collegium had recommended her elevation on October 10, 2023.She was part of a group of five judicial officers who were recommended by the Supreme Court in its resolution.Three among the recommended judicial officers were appointed and sworn in as additional judges on October 25. They are Justices Johnson John, G Girish, and C Pratheep Kumar.Since then, six new judges were appointed in March this year.However, Snehalatha's name was cleared for appointment only now, over 6 months later.In its resolution recommending her name for elevation, the Supreme Court collegium had observed that the Central government's assessment found that she has a good professional and personal image, but that she had faced criticism for two orders granting bail. However, the Collegium opined that this should not come in the way of her recommendation for elevation.The Collegium had also noted that she belonged to the Other Backward Class (OBC) category and would have a short tenure (since she is over 59 years old).As of April 19, the Kerala High Court is functioning with 41 judges as against its sanctioned strength of 47.With the appointment of the new judge, the vacancies will come down to five.
TAGS: Central government appointment judicial officer Marakkaparambil Bhargavan Snehalatha Kerala High Court
